Military Bun Tutorial

Not much of a fan of the ever-popular "sock bun" trend, when I joined the Air National Guard, I told myself, "I will never be caught DEAD wearing a sock bun!" You know, because it seems like every photo you ever see of anyone in the military shows them wearing a sock bun—and I was not going to do it!

Let me tell you what, after being at Basic Military Training for about two weeks with short hair that would just not stay up in any kind of bun and having an MTI come up to me and say, "Get it together, Rowe! Your hair looks like a hot mess!" it was then that I decided to embrace the dreaded sock bun. And I decided to call it the "donut bun" instead, because that just sounds better—I suppose. After about three successful buns created with my small, brown mesh donut, I was sold. I don't care what anyone has to say about the donut bun, it's quick, it's easy, it works for almost any hair length that can be put up, and it's the only way to put your hair up in less than a minute as Reveille is going off and 46 girls are scrambling around you to get their beds made.

So whether you're researching how best to wear your hair while at BMT or just wanting to try a new updo, here's my tutorial for the military version of the sock bun.



Basic Steps:

1. Pull hair up into low ponytail (it has to be low enough to put your ABU cap on)
2. String ponytail through mesh donut, bringing donut all the way up to base of hair tie
3. Fan ponytail over mesh donut, making sure to evenly cover mesh with hair
4. Wrap second hair tie around mesh donut
5. Secure loose ends with bobby pins
6. (Optional) Pull & tug hair around mesh donut to create a fuller, more voluminous bun
7. Finish with a light (or heavy—if you're at BMT) mist of hairspray

My favorite step and trick to the whole process is Step 6, where you give your bun that added bit of volume. I know the slicked-down look is so popular in the military, but I think a nice, full bun (especially if your hair is fine like mine) looks so much better and really elevates the whole look.

Also, if your hair is longer—at Step 5, you can either braid or twist the loose ends (try making 3-4 small braids/twists) before pinning them to give your bun a really chic, polished look. Unfortunately, my hair is still far too short to attempt any of those neat tricks, but the other girls at Basic Training looked so nice when they added little braided accents to their buns.

Below, I've included the exact products that I bought and used while down at BMT to achieve this style.

Do you rock the donut bun? I know several women who wear it out and about and I think it looks really nice—especially when it's not totally slicked down!

The little details: Eyes: Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes c/o my cousin & Younique Presenter Lindsay, Sterling Silver Wrap Ring: c/o The Vintage Pearl

Short & Straight Hair

Quilted Jacket: c/o Joules USA

This hairstyle is so easy with my short hair! I washed it in the evening and let it air-dry while I slept. When I woke up, added a spritz of dry shampoo, straightened it, teased the crown and sprayed a light mist of hairspray. So easy!

Products & tools used for this hairstyle:

Disclosure: The Mitch Stone Session spray is a c/o product.

Straight and Flipped Hairstyle for Short Hair

Shirt: Macy's (similar), Bracelet: Thrifted, Nails: OPI I Ate Berries in the Canaries and China Glaze Turned Up Turquoise

This is my go-to short hairstyle. It's so easy, and literally takes less than 5-minutes.

1. Blow dry your hair, curling the front under with a round brush, but leave it slightly damp (if only just in the back).
• I prepped my hair before blow drying with Aveda Volumizing Tonic and Style Prep.
2. Add a bit of Pure Abundance Hair Potion to volumize your crown.
3. Tease your crown (I use a steel pin brush).
4. Smooth a penny-sized amount of wax through your fingers and flip/spike the back of your hair. Mine does it naturally, you may have to flip yours out with a round brush. 
5. Finish with a quick shot of hairspray (I love Mitch Stone's Session Spray—it doesn't make my hair stiff but gives a great hold).

Products & tools used for this hairstyle:

Disclosure: the Aveda Products & Mitch Stone Session Spray are c/o products, though I use them daily and love them regardless of the fact that they are c/o.

Simple Twists

Tease your crown for subtle volume. Twist the front pieces of your hair back & pin. Add a flower or bow clip & you're set!

Holiday Hair-spiration

I have two brand new holiday hair tutorials posted over at Yes To Carrots: a low side ponytail and a fun holiday updo. Go check them out... click HERE!

PS>> Love the red bow in the updo? Snag one here!

Straight Straight Hair

Photos: Taylor Love Studios // Top: Romy // Bracelets: c/o Threads // Hair: c/o Hana Elite Flat Iron

Over the last year, my hair has transformed more than I ever thought possible. It has grown over 6-inches. Since I haven't colored my hair since May of 2011, I've found that my natural color is apparently a light brown (it looks lighter in the photos)... I've always thought I was a blonde. Imagine realizing that fact about yourself—that you've been wrong about your natural hair color for 26-years. Oops. It also isn't as "stick straight" as I always thought. In fact, it's actually quite straight in the front, but the back tends to take on a little awkward beach wave if I just leave it alone. Some days, that's OK. Other days? I want it to look nice. And I'll tell you what—in the time that you've been reading this blog (some of you a little over a year), you have never seen my hair as straight as it is today. I promise you that. Since I wasn't able to use a straightener for the entire last year due to my Bye Bye Beehive project, I didn't even remember what my hair looked like after being straightened. And let me just say—I love it. So yes, today's post is about hair. Straight hair. And as I sit here writing this to you, I promise you, this is a product I stand behind.

__________________________________________________________________________________

This past July, I was contacted by a representative from Misikko about reviewing a blow dryer. Clearly, since I was in the middle of my 365-day no-hair-styling project, I had to tell them I couldn't do it. I was bummed, too, because I would have loved a new blow dryer. But then, a week after finishing Bye Bye Beehive, I sent Misikko a reply, letting them know that my project was finished and I'd like to review that dryer for them. They instead asked if I would like to review a Hana Salon flat iron. I was thrilled, to say the least, since I haven't owned a flat iron in years. I asked them, "How did you know?!" They were so sweet and the shipped off the flat iron that next day.

To say that I was impressed with the packaging would be an understatement. I was expecting just a flat iron. I got an entire box full of goodies. A flat iron, an iron case, an iron mat, a brush, lip gloss, eyelash curler, an ornament and even rose petals. You guys... rose petals. I emailed them right away to see if this was a mistake—all of it for me? My rep reassured me, this is how each Misikko product is packaged. Their guarantee of "OOOOOOHS and AHHHHHHS" is right.

Now, it's one thing to ship your product in the most eye-appealing package ever, but the real question is—does the product work?

I put it to the test. I showered the evening before I used it and went to bed with wet, un-brushed hair. When I woke up, my hair was pretty wavy—much more wavy than it normally air-dries. I busted out my straightener, heated it up (which only took a couple seconds), and got to work. Less than 3-minutes later, I had stick straight hair. Straight straight hair.

Now, I know I don't have the curliest or waviest hair you've ever seen, but for me? This is the best hair straightener. Let's just say, my hair stayed straight all day. I am in love. I think the only disadvantage of this beauty is the price tag. To be honest, my jaw dropped a little when I saw that the price for this was over $200. Maybe it's just me, and the fact that I haven't owned a straightener in years, but if I were shopping around, that's just not something I would go for, especially since I could get about 10+ new tops at TJ Maxx for that same price.

But—for those who live and breathe by their straighteners (and I know some of you do), when it comes to flat irons, you've got to see it as an investment. And this flat iron is an incredibly made, high quality hair styling tool. It has 100% ceramic plates, adjustable heat settings (I used mine on a lower setting since my hair straightens easily), it doesn't smell when it heats up, and it didn't make my hair smell like it had been burned, which so many flat irons out there are notorious for.

I have to say, I'm a fan. Misikko, you won me over. Do any of you have this flat iron? How long does it take to straighten your hair? Do you prefer straight or wavy? Let's talk hair!

Goody Pony Pouf.

Mornin', Ladies!

Have you heard of the Goody Pony Pouf? It promises to give your hair oomph and fluff without the hassles of teasing. I was convinced that I had to give it a shot, so I picked it up at my local Walgreens the other day.

You're supposed to secure your hair in the barette and then pull little sections into the holes to make them pouf out, giving them that teased-to-perfection look.

The only problem... it's not all it's cracked up to be. It didn't hold my hair in place and seemed to keep slipping down my ponytail. That's probably because my hair is so fine. My hair didn't stay in those little holes... so that looked weird. And even when my hair was in the pouf-holes, you could still see them so it just looked like I was wearing a funky barette all day. Not a fan.

If you insist on giving this a shot... be my guest. But it wasn't my favorite.

[[UPDATE]]

WELL... THIS IS EMBARRASSING. I was informed by a lovely reader that I put it in upside down! No wonder!! 

Twist Braid.

Sometimes I don't always like the traditional braid. That's where the twist braid comes in. Think of a braid with a twist. It's so simple... and you can find how to do it with this tutorial from The Beauty Department. They are definitely my go-to beauty resource, and I was so happy to finally have a chance to test out this braid.

I sure have been showcasing a lot of braids lately. That's because I'm preparing for a guest post tomorrow, so be sure to check back here for that link to a fun new blog!

P.S.>> Sorry for my super-messy hair lately! Not having a blow dryer is killing me!!!

Annelise Au Naturel.

Yep. You heard me. OOF dah. After 16 days of this product and processing-free challenge, I finally broke down and didn't do anything with my hair.

I woke up this morning, showered and washed my hair, did my normal 10-minute get-ready routine, and left the house. I untangled my wet hair in the car. And a short 30 minutes later, I had this:

There you go. Annelise au naturel. The hair pictured above is a bona fide air-dried 'do. That means no teasing, no styling, no hairspray, and definitely no products applied to that hair.

Some may say it looks decent. I can't stand it. It wings out on the sides and just hangs on my head like a two-week old dishrag. Now you see why I'm all about sponge rollers, braids, and Wrap Snap & Go... no matter how cheesy they are.

So that's my au naturel look for you, as my coworker Zoë calls it. I think I'd much rather prefer to have naturally curly, big hair... or Annelise au les cheveux efféminé. AKA... Annelise with poofy hair!

The Go-To.

Once in a while, always on the days you need to look the most presentable (of course), do you ever find yourself sleeping in until the last minute? You know that you need to wake up when the alarm goes off. But you don't. Because your bed is warm and cozy, and sleeping just 10 (or 40) more minutes just sounds sooo splendid.

It seems like I have those kind of days just a tad bit too often. Today was no exception. I knew I needed to wake up early and do something nice with my hair because I was presenting about my blog at a work meeting. I mean, come on... you can't expect me to go to a big-wig meeting at work to present about my HAIR blog with shabby looking hair, now can you? Don't be ridiculous.

Unfortunately, the 15 minutes I allotted myself to make my bed, shower, apply makeup and do my hair just wasn't enough. It should be. But it wasn't. Thus, I ended up pulling my hair into a simple low ponytail after I arrived at work. It's basically my easy go-to look, and I think I'll be sporting it quite often over the next year.

Cheers to go-to looks! Now if I could just make it appear a bit more presentable...

Oh well. What can you do? (Ahem... get up earlier?) Oh... well... yeah. About that...

One Last Big Bee-utiful Weekend.

In lieu of sacrificing all things "big hair" on Tuesday, I decided to have a super fun weekend of doing my hair.  I didn't go crazy... but I did make sure to do it. I was very amused because I was even asked, "Um, will you reconsider this whole project? I like the way it looks now!" It was very cute.

Friday, for the Boise State Game, I teased my hair up and curled it. I kept it pretty casual, since I had to be at work all day.

Saturday, I went out around the town. I decided to go straight and teased. When I tease my hair I don't tease it too big. I just like to give it some good body.

I look angry! I'm not, I promise!

And THAT is my current hair length. Tomorrow I'm heading in for a trim and a final blowout to get this whole thing started. I can't wait to give up my hairspray, teasing comb and blow dryer. I wonder what I will be saying in a mere 7 days...